Learning the game

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SCOTT UNGER -- Winnipeg Sun

One night after being schooled by the B.C. Lions to the tune of 32-5, a handful of Winnipeg Blue Bombers became the teachers at the 2006 Shaw Digital Phone Women's Football Clinic last night.

One hundred and thirty-two women turned out for the evening of football drills and learning run by the likes of Matt Sheridan, Obby Khan and Jon Oosterhuis.

"It's certainly turning the tables a little bit," Sheridan said of the gals outnumbering the guys on the turf of Canad Inns Stadium. "It's not that often you get a collection this large of a group of women on the field at one time. We see the girls in the stands, but that's about it."

The football drills included teaching the ladies how to drop back and throw a pass, pass block and rushing the quarterback.

"You set some stations up and trying to cover all the bases in terms of the skills and the skill sets with respect to football," Sheridan said.

"It was really good to learn all the little things like how to throw a ball," said clinic participant Suzanne after the two-and-a-half hour workout.

"It was fun to tackle all the players," another participant, Colleen joked. "Actually it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot."

Sheridan really enjoys teaching the game of football to any fan.

"It's really fun is what it is," Sheridan said. "It's kind of an untapped segment of the market."

And he is hoping tapping into the female fan base will ripple through those around them.

"Let's face it here," Sheridan began. "The women are the ones that control the purse strings in a lot of relationships. If we can do something to get the ladies gung ho about football and interested in buying tickets, it makes it a lot easier to open those purse strings when the male comes to them asking for it."